pewforum.org Religion News on the Web

Religion News on the Web

Selected religion-related news from around the Web
NYT: Philippines moves forward with bill to improve contraceptive access
Despite opposition from the powerful Roman Catholic Church, a bill that would mandate sex education in schools and subsidize contraceptives moved ahead on Monday after being stalled in the Philippine Congress for 14 years.
AP: China steps up campaign against Ramadan fasting for Uighurs; experts fear backlash
China is discouraging some Muslims in the far western region of Xinjiang from fasting during Ramadan.
RNS: Jews, Sikhs, Hindus root for fellow believers in Olympics
Americans cheered when Aly Raisman of Needham, Mass., won a gold medal on Tuesday (July 31) in the women's all-around gymnastics competition, but at least some American Jews likely cheered a little louder.
AP: Vietnam considers legalizing same-sex marriage
Dinh Thi Hong Loan grasps her girlfriend's hand, and the two gaze into each other's love-struck eyes. Smiling, they talk about their upcoming wedding — how they'll exchange rings and toast the beginning of their lives together.
Independent: Burma's monks call for Muslim community to be shunned
Monks who played a vital role in Burma's recent struggle for democracy have been accused of fuelling ethnic tensions in the country by calling on people to shun a Muslim community that has suffered decades of abuse.
LA Times: Philippines birth control: Filipinos want it, priests don't
Shortly after sunrise, a woman with soulful eyes and short-cropped black hair hurried down a narrow alley in flip-flops, picking her way around clusters of squatting children, piles of trash and chunks of concrete.
AP: Muslims begin Ramadan fast in Asia; holy month marred by bombings in Thailand’s south
Muslims have begun fasting for the start of the Ramadan holy month in Indonesia, Malaysia and elsewhere around Asia, but the somber occasion was marred in Buddhist-dominated Thailand by two bomb blasts that killed one person and injured seven.
NYT: Officials turn blind eye as religious tensions rise in Indonesia
The problems began shortly after Tajul Muluk, a Shiite cleric, opened a boarding school in 2004.
LA Times: In Malaysia, ruling party uses Islamic values to bolster support
First came the banning of a gay arts festival and the book "Islamic Sex."
NYT: Spreading the faith where faith itself is suspect
The Rev. Peter Liu Yongbin, a wireless microphone tethered to his head, gazed out over his prospective converts and plowed into the ABCs of Roman Catholic faith.
Straits Times: The changing face of Australia
Australia has become more Asian, less religious and the population is more spread out, according to a five-yearly snapshot which reveals the changing face of the nation.
AP: Clashes erupt in Indian Kashmir after mosque fire
A fire has destroyed a revered Muslim shrine in India's portion of Kashmir, prompting anti-government protests by local residents angered over what they say was a slow response by firefighters.
AP: Thai Buddhist film festival seeks to spark faith
Religion can be a tough sell nowadays, so instead of waiting for disciples to make their way to temple, some promoters brought 36 films with Buddhist themes to the heart of modern Thailand earlier this month.
Times of India: Madrassa makes Muslim women self-reliant
Family troubles forced Sharmeen Ansari (19) to quit studies after completing her intermediate.
Times of India: Indian Muslims discuss reforms to Haj pilgrimage management after SC judgment to abolish Haj subsidy
Forum for Haj Pilgrimage Management in India (FHMI) organized a one day Conference that deliberated on the issues and concerns related to Haj Pilgrimage Management and suggested options for a subsidy-free Haj Management in India on Tuesday.
Korea Herald: Opinion: Can Korea ever accept homosexuals?
Homosexuality has long been taboo in Korean society.
Australian: Church edicts: no gay marriage
THE two opposing camps in the battle over gay marriage rallied their troops yesterday ahead of what could be the first federal parliamentary debate on the legislation today.
Straits Times: More flexibility for churches, temples with new space rules
Small churches and Taoist groups are likely to benefit from new rules that allow religious organisations to worship in industrial buildings.
NYT: Internet unshackled, Burmese aim venom at ethnic minority
Over the past year, Myanmar’s government has ended its heavy censorship, allowing citizens unfettered access to a wide variety of Web sites that had been banned during military rule.
Straits Times: Religious groups welcome new rules on industrial site use
Religious organisations have welcomed the new guidelines that will allow greater use of industrial sites for their activities.
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